Calcium regulation of adenylyl cyclase relevance for endocrine control

A fundamental process in the hormonal regulation of body functions is the conversion of the intercellular signal into an intracellular signal. The first recognized intracellular messengers mediating the actions of hormones were calcium ions (Ca(2+)) and adenosine 3':5' monophosphate (cAMP), which is synthesized from ATP by adenylyl cyclase. Recent work on the structure of adenylyl cyclases has shown that these enzymes are individually tailored molecular machines controlled by diverse Ca(2+)-dependent mechanisms. These include allosteric regulation of enzyme activity through the Ca(2+)-receptor protein calmodulin, apparently direct actions of Ca(2+)on the cyclase catalytic moiety and phosphorylation/dephosphorylation by Ca(2+)-regulated protein kinases and protein phosphatases. This article is a brief review of the recent developments in the area of cyclase control that forecast a major revival of the interest in cAMP-Ca(2+)interactions. (c) 1997, Elsevier Science Inc. (Trends Endocrinol Metab 1997;8:7-14).